


Siren's Call

by LoquitorLatinae



Category: GreedFall (Video Game)
Genre: Everyone's the same but the Nauts, Kurt is a Good Bro, M/M, Mermaids, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:40:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24572446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoquitorLatinae/pseuds/LoquitorLatinae
Summary: The Nauts are a race of mers who are paid to help ships get safely shore to shore. Vasco saves de Sardet in a storm and that decision changes the course of his life and the fate of Tir Fradi. Vasco/male de Sardet.
Relationships: De Sardet/Vasco (GreedFall)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 26





	Siren's Call

**Author's Note:**

> Some gratuitous, and belated, MerMay fic, because who would be more naturally mermaids than the Nauts? Enjoy the first chapter!

##  **Chapter 1**

Given the known poor weather between the Continent and Tír Fradí, it was strange that a Congregation ship would sail without the aid of the Nauts. The Merchant Congregation tended to be the most practical about working with the Nauts for guaranteed shipments--they weren’t caught up in religious fervor like Thélème or convinced in the superiority of their designs like the Bridge Alliance--but rather tended toward acting like practical businessmen. Yet here was a ship, bobbing along straight into a storm front. It was a show of poor sense and poor seafaring. Whoever was captain of that ship was either intentionally reckless or had gotten his command post through ill-gotten means.

Vasco, meanwhile, had fought for his position as leader of the Sea-Horse pod, had put hours into building a reliable crew who knew the waters around the Continent better than any landwalker could ever hope to know. He hadn’t lost a crate of landwalker cargo during his runs and was proud of it, even if he couldn’t give a whit about what said crates held. Very little of what the humans produced could survive long underwater. Their coin, though, was one of the few things the Nauts collected and would quickly trade for luxury foods or weapons like spears. The stone swords of the Tír Fradí natives were particularly adept at surviving in seawater and Vasco kept one of their obsidian daggers on a sash about his waist at all times. It was a useful addition to his natural arsenal of sharp fangs and poison-tipped claws. A little more range and damage for fights could mean life or death and, in fact, had ensured his survival a number of times. 

In exchange for the gold, the Nauts would assist any landwalker ships through the waters, using magic at times but primarily knowledge of the seas to chart safe courses that effectively made use of seasonal winds and tides. In a pinch, they might have to spin a spell or two to create gales or calm waters, but Vasco far preferred common sense. Either way, it was at least common courtesy these days for landwalkers to throw a gold coin or two into the harbor when they departed, even if they hadn’t come to an official agreement with the Nauts. 

But the captain of this Congregation ship had ignored all of that. And so the Nauts were supposed to ignore the ship. Yet Vasco had trailed after it, more out of morbid curiosity than anything else as to what might happen if the ship was subjected to nature in her purest form. A study he might be able to present as an argument to any human quailing at the price the Nauts required for safe passage. 

So far, nature was yet again proving herself a cruel mistress. Vasco had swam forward, ahead of his crew, to get a closer look as the ship sunk into the storm, too wrapped into its winds to turn back now. The rough waves were cold and frothed grey and, despite the midday hour, the whole world was dark with enraged clouds and sheeted rain. Waves crashed over the deck of the ship with ease and crates and cargo were falling into the waters from all sides. 

Knowing his crew would collect the flotsam, Vasco kept his gaze locked on the top deck where landwalkers were desperately running about. As the ship tossed and heaved, he could see a small cluster of well-dressed ones near the main mast. One in armor and two in fine coats; a Coin mercenary and two Congregation nobles, no doubt. They were lashing themselves to the mast which was certainly the best way to keep to the deck of a ship in these waves. Vasco had seen it work before, had even recommended it once or twice during escorts. One of the nobles was prioritizing the other, though, and Vasco saw the wave crest over the broad side of the ship before any of them. 

It hit with ruthless force and the man who was not yet tied was washed off his feet in a flash. Both of the others grabbed for him but it was too late, he was already hitting the water along with a new slew of cargo. 

Vasco was swimming before he realized he was moving. The man was slowly sinking, weighed down no doubt both by his clothing and the sword strapped to his side. He wasn’t struggling. He probably lost consciousness on impact with either the wave or the sea. He was handsome though, for a landwalker. He had a squared jaw, dark hair, and a strange mark on his jaw that seemed to swirl about like oil on the water’s surface. Young as well. 

Vasco circled him, nearly meeting the end of his own tail as he wound around him. It would only be right to let him drown--the price paid for disrespecting the Nauts. But Vasco had seen how his compatriots had reached for him. How the man had secured his companion first before thinking of himself. 

There were many humans who deserved to die, but Vasco didn’t have the heart to let a good one perish. 

He reached out and caught the man in his arms. The touch seemed to send a spark through the other and the man jerked and his eyes flashed open. They were as grey as the storm. They locked eyes and then the man opened his mouth and Vasco cursed, gills on his neck flaring with the distress that shot through him as the human breathed down water. 

With a powerful kick of his tail, he carried the man up to the surface of the water. He kept a strong grip on him as they broke to the air and the other coughed and sputtered, the rainfall doing nothing to help air back into his lungs. 

“Easy!” Vasco soothed, voice raised to be heard over the howling wind and creaking ship and the man’s panic. “You’re alright! Get that water out! You don’t have gills, you know.” The man clung to him as Vasco pounded his back a few times, mindful of his own poisoned claws, eliciting a few more wet coughs before the man collapsed against him. Vasco felt a warm, shuddering breath against his gills and a weak groan. While not a pleasant sensation, it was good to hear the rattling breaths after putting in the work to get him air. “There we are. Hang on, then, let’s get you back,” he murmured, patting him on the pack with a gentler hand. 

He kept an arm around the man, primarily using the strength in his tail to cut through the water, trying to keep the other’s face out of the waves. The ship was a dangerous thing to be so close to when it was so unsteady, the force of its rocking liable to suck everything underneath it, but Vasco caught the rung of the ladder on its side that led down to the waterline. 

“Can you climb?” He asked. 

The man shuddered then nodded, teeth chattering as he tried to talk. “Y-Yes. I-I can make it. My thanks! You saved my life!” 

Vasco shook his head and hauled the man up to meet the rung. “It’s more than I should’ve done what with your lack of pay. Now, up you get. Before your strength fails.” 

The man’s lips parted but then he set his jaw and nodded, turning his attention and energy toward climbing up the side of the hull. Vasco should have left him at that but lingered to ensure he made it up even though he had to fight against the suction of the ship’s keel. But he wasn’t about to let the man slip back into the drink and drown after his efforts. From the water, he could hear the man call out for his companions as soon as he reached the ship’s railing and, sure enough, hands were grasping him a moment later to haul him over. Vasco waited until both legs were safely on the other side then sank back under the waves. 

He snatched a few loose items that were hovering in the waters just below the surface then dove deeper to meet his crew. They were following standard protocol, swiping up the debris that had fallen. Had a contract been made, they would be collecting it all to return to the landwalkers, but now it was theirs to claim freely and they were already popping open the crates. There was a supply of bottles in one, probably alcohol, while another held smaller vials of what might be medicine. A third yet was pried open to reveal a cache of weapons including swords and firearms. It was a good haul and there was more still for them to collect. The ship had been overladen for sure, with so much of their cargo stowed on the top deck. 

As he swam over to inspect the box of weapons, Jonas joined him at his side. “You took some time to get down here,” the young Naut commented. He was still fresh faced with few marks on his face or body, his tail a solid blue hue in contrast to Vasco’s gold and amber tail that was decorated with sea marks that ran from his face down the full length of his tail. Jonas would come into his own soon, though. He had a good head on his shoulders and had only just joined the Sea-Horse crew--they’d be marking him soon enough after he had a few more missions behind him

The young Naut’s tone had been light, but Vasco heard the hedged question and he shook his head sharply. “Nothing for you to worry about. Let’s focus instead on the loot. The closest harbor is New Sérène. We’ll make for their port and see about selling some of these baubles. Ideally ahead of this ship so that we can be spared the drama of them finding their things on the auction block.”

* * *

  
  


The wave hit before de Sardet had even had the opportunity to spot it. He’d been far too focused on securing Constantin’s lifeline to the mast. Kurt had been yelling about them to brace or something similar--it had been so hard to hear among the shouting of the crew and the pounding of the rain.

He was so cold and wet that, at first, he didn’t even notice the wave. That memory was particularly clear, being somehow shocked when his feet were pulled out from underneath him. His immediate thought had honestly been that a rope had swept behind his heels and unbalanced him but then in an instant he was being thrown against and then over the railing as if tossed along by some malevolent giant.

He’d gone over the side and, then...nothing. 

Nothing until was wrested awake to the sensation of dancing which...he knew couldn’t be right, because there had just been a fierce storm.

As his senses returned, de Sardet found a pair of _eyes_ before him. They were a magnificent amber color, practically glowing against the dark flurry around them. Then he took in the tattoos and, yes, they were indeed underwater and he was in the arms of a Naut, and a devastatingly handsome one at that. He startled and his lips naturally parted to speak but then he felt seawater fill his throat instead and he choked.

The action seemed to panic the Naut as much as himself. De Sardet could only cling to the the other as he swam, the pressure of the seawater around them seemingly almost trying to tear him from the Naut’s arms. But his grip held and a moment later they were breaching the water. His lungs burned as if they were on fire as he gulped in a breath of air and he was seized by a coughing fit as his body fought to get the water out. A few strikes to his back helped knock the worst of it loose but if the Naut hadn’t been holding onto him, he certainly wouldn’t have had the strength to keep afloat. His limbs were weak with a heavy fatigue and his clothes felt as if they were made from lead. It was all he could do to cling to the Naut. Were he in a better situation, he’d be mortified by the the other's bared torso but now as he was he didn’t even have the strength to appreciate his firm muscles, though he did note them.

His voice was somehow both rough and smooth as honey. Was that a feature of all Nauts? He’d heard their voices were entrancing, charming enough to charm the seas they said, and it took some amount of will to actually listen to what he was saying but by the time he comprehended the other’s words he realized that they were beside the ship again. When asked if he could climb, de Sardet looked up at the ladder then back to the Naut. “Yes,” he rasped, “I-I can make it.” De Sardet took a breath, found his throat and lungs still raw, but he needed to thank this Naut, this man, for saving his life. “My thanks,” he managed after a moment. “You saved my life!”

Despite his determination to make it, the first rung on the ladder seemed impossibly far away. The Naut seemed to read his mind for a moment later he was lifting de Sardet from the water with a surprising strength. De Sardet latched onto the rung, praying for strength of his own.

Then the other revealed that, apparently, there had been no payment made and de Sardet’s mind froze as he suddenly understood his situation. It was a wonder that this Nuat had assisted him at all rather than help him drown. Anger filled him. Who had been so careless as to neglect a Naut contract for a ship that was carrying the Prince of the Congregation? The newly appointed Governor of New Sérène at that! To think that such an egregious error had been made--and it had to have been a mistake. The alternative was unthinkable.

But he had to get back up to Constantin. He gave the stranger a nod of thanks, which he knew was far less than the gratitude he should be offering, then put one hand over the other and began to scale the side of the ship. The harsh rain hammered against him but he was too soaked through for it to matter anymore. Constantin was up on the deck with a potentially treasonous crew. So he climbed and, just when it seemed as if he would never reach the top, his fingers brushed against the bottom of a baluster instead of yet another ladder rung and he looked up, heaving a breath of relief to find that he’d reached the ship’s deck. He had not crawled halfway past it when he heard a shout from the other side and a “ _Greenblood!_ I’ve got you--hold on!” 

De Sardet’s strength nearly gave out then from the relief as Kurt grabbed onto him but he reached for him as Kurt’s grip changed from the back of his collar to under his arms and he was heaved up and over the side. His legs did give out as soon as they touched the deck but Kurt had a strong hold on him and hauled him back over to the mast.

Constantin’s lifeline to the mast was not long but he still stretched it to the full of its length and grasped de Sardet’s arm as soon as he could and pulled him into a hug. “I thought that we’d lost you, Cousin!”

“Are you alright, Constantin?” De Sardet asked, clutching at his cousin in return, dully aware of Kurt winding a rope about his middle and securing him to the mast as well. “Has anyone tried to hurt you?”

A frantic laugh escaped Constantin’s lips and he cupped de Sardet’s face. So close they still almost had to yell at one another to be heard over the storm. “What are you saying, Cousin?! I was not the one tossed over the side! Are _you_ alright? Are you injured? Did you take on much water?” He patted his hands down de Sardet’s chest.

Another wave crested the ship and de Sardet grunted as Kurt grabbed hold of both him and Constantin, crowding them against the mast as the wave crashed down, dragging across their legs as it drained back into the ocean. “I’m fine!” He called back. “I’m alright! But I have a story to tell!”

“Save it for now, Greenblood!” Kurt barked. “Let’s see this through first!”

The storm lasted another hour or two, though it felt like an eternity. Once the waves calmed enough and the ship was stabilized, they untied the lines about their waists and Kurt ushered them back to Constantine’s and de Sardet’s room. The small compartment had caught some of the waves and it looked like the water had come up so high as the hinges of their trunks but had since subsided to a low puddle the same height as the door lip.Their belongings had been shaken about and Constantin tugged off his jacket before he groaned in distress and he plucked his favorite book from the water, shaking it out with a grimace. 

Thankfully, their mattresses had been too high to be soaked and de Sardet immediately stripped off his coat and moved to his own, groaning in relief as he laid down.

“You’re sure you’re alright?” Kurt asked quietly, the tone just between the two of them as he settled at the side of the bed.

“It feels like I’ve breathed sanding paper, but I think I’ll live,” de Sardet admitted, one eye flickering open to find Constantin’s concerned face almost in his own.

“Should we have you upside down or something to get the water out?” His cousin asked, inspecting him again.

De Sardet groaned. “I’d rather not. Besides, I had most of it shook out of me. Ah!” He sat up, startling Constantin into grabbing hold of his shoulder. His cousin’s concern fell away though as de Sardet continued. “I was rescued by a Naut!”

“A Naut! Truly?” Constantin sat beside him, expression bright and open. “What were they like? I’ve seen them at port, of course, but never in their element. Those claws, though, you weren’t hurt, were you?”

“No. No, he didn’t hurt me. I think I was sinking in the ocean and he brought me back to the surface. And then back to the ship itself. He was...spectacular.” De Sardet flushed as Constantin let out an intrigued hum and Kurt snorted. “It wasn’t like that! But, Constantin, what he said,” de Sardet took his cousin’s hand. “He told me that the captain of this ship hadn’t paid the Nauts.”

Kurt growled before Constantin could react. “You’re serious?” At de Sardet’s nod, Kurt cursed again. “I should have checked! I thought something was off, but I thought it was just shit luck. You wouldn’t have gone overboard if that contract had been made. You could have been killed! You almost did die!” 

Constantin’s brows furrowed and he squeezed de Sardet’s hand. “This is serious, Cousin. Surely...surely my father would have insisted on a contract, don’t you think?”

“If you’re insinuating that your father might have been aware of this or even complicit,” de Sardet shook his head. “No, Constantin. Your father is many things, but I can’t imagine he would try to murder his own son after so soon after naming him governor. If you had died, there would have been an investigation into the matter.”

Constantin took a breath then nodded. “You’re right. He has his machinations, but this certainly would be too much even for him.” He released a small noise that was almost a laugh. “I know I’m not always his favorite, but he’s not yet at the point of murder. This Naut, did he say that he’d be watching over the ship from this point forward?”

De Sardet shook his head. “No. He even seemed somewhat regretful to have saved me. I think we are on our own from here on out. Luckily, we are closer to New Sérène than not. Let’s hope for good weather and, in the meanwhile, be alert.”

Kurt nodded firmly then crossed his arms. “I’ll stand watch at night. In the day, you’ll have to stay alert. Don’t take any food or drink that’s not communal. You two will have to stay together, watch each others’ backs, or ideally stay here in your room while I rest.” He scrubbed at his face. “If I’d thought that there would have been a security risk, I would have brought another man or two to work shifts.”

“We can behave ourselves while you’re asleep,” de Sardet promised. Constantin gave a quick nod beside him. “Let’s just hope these next few days go by quickly.”

  
  


* * *

  
  


It took everyone in their pod to carry something, but they swam into New Sérène a few days after the storm hit. They had arrived before the Congregation ship, hardly a surprise as the ship was so beholden to the winds and currents, and Vasco sent his crew to rest for the evening before they sorted their loot. 

The Nauts had always been quick to establish outposts at landwalker ports and New Sérène had been no different. Though a young city, the Nauts had settled in as soon as the piers had been finished. Just outside, where the ships’ berthed and where the water was deeper, they’d built up a small settlement that comprised a warehouse and some structures for sleeping, all constructed out of stone so the tides would not drag cargo or sleeping Nauts this way or that. 

Vasco stayed outside as the world grew dark as night fell, eyes trained up to the surface. If he waited to join them in sleep until he’d seen the Congregation ship sail overhead and safely reach port, that was his own business. 

The next morning, Vasco had his crew deliver everything to the storehouse and to start sorting it for trade and distribution. As he was helping Laurel shelf the bottles of alcohol, however, he sensed a new presence in the space and looked up. “Admiral Cabral,” he stated, surprised as he dipped his head in a quick nod of respect when she motioned to him with a flick of her claws.

“Vasco. A word.”  
  
Vasco glanced back at his crew to find their eyes on him and the Admiral, though their attentions immediately snapped back to the cubbies of product that they were tucking away. Snorting at their blatant desire for gossip, he swam after Cabral. She traveled to various outposts as she saw fit but had been in New Sérène for a while. Tír Fradí was still wild and those from the Continent who had settled here even more so. Over the past few months, so much drama had taken place here between the three Continent kingdoms that Admiral Cabral had all but set up a permanent residence. 

She led Vasco now away from the others, into the cool and quiet waters where she turned around to face him. “I heard you rescued a human.” 

“Who--?” Vasco bared his teeth, tail lashing through the water at the thought of one of his crew going over his head and calling him out to the Admiral but she cut him off with a raised hand and a shake of her head. 

“I received notice early morning that the captain of the ship was reprimanded by one of his passengers for negligence. That the man’s life had been saved by a Naut who ‘just happened to be nearby.’ You came in with the tide last night and with their loot and I know if anyone else in your crew had made the attempt, you would have reprimanded them soundly.” 

Vasco snorted but could offer no defense. It was true enough. 

“I know you take pride in your work as a navigator,” she continued, “but you’ve overstepped. If humans thought they might get free assistance on occasion, they’d be far more likely to take that bet and sail without our business.” 

Vasco dipped his head. “It was thoughtless of me, Admiral. I’m sorry for that.” 

Cabral eyed him and her tail flicked through the water in amusement. “But you’re not sorry for having done it.” She looked him up and down then nodded and turned to swim toward the port, giving Vasco no option but to follow. “I’m putting you on leave from your position, Vasco, and assigning you a new task. Since you’re so enthralled by the landwalkers, you can stay near them.” They’d swam nearly to the surface, in line now with the keels of the many ships in the harbor. She turned to face him amongst them. “I’m suspicious of what those from the Continent are doing on Tír Fradí,” she admitted after a pause. “There’s a magic about this island and I don’t trust anyone from the other shores here.” 

Vasco followed her gaze up to the ships, the hulking things lifting and falling with the waves. Close as they were to the piers, the water stank of human refuse and bits of junk and shit, probably literally, and nails, planks of wood, hooks, and nets were scattered across the sea bed.

The water had been crystal clear on this coast before humans from the Continent arrived.

Vasco sighed and met the Admiral’s gaze again. “So I’m just to hang about their port and spy on them for you?” 

“Yes. I expect you to return with reports weekly, if not more often if anything of interest happens. In the meantime, I will have the Sea-Horses reassigned to someone else while you’re posted up at the docks.” 

It was certainly a punishment more than it was an actual task, but Vasco had to grit his teeth and restrain his words. He’d earned it, after all. He’d gone against protocol and rescued the human despite having been well aware that the ship wasn’t under their protection. To question the Admiral now would only be seen as additional disobedience and the punishment would be far worse. All he could do was try and work himself back into Cabral’s good graces. Even if that meant performing this asinine duty for as long as she would force him.

“Am I to leave now?” He asked after a moment, looking back to the storehouse where his crew still worked.  
  
“Aye, Vasco. I’ll pass the word to your crew.” Cabral’s gaze softened for a brief moment. “It won’t be forever, Vasco, but I can’t have you disregarding the rules. Off with you, now. I’ve already alerted the crew up top of your reassignment so they’ll have a space available for you.”

Vasco grunted in sullen acknowledgement then swam past her. As he neared the surface, he made a point to breathe exclusively through his gills to keep the taste of the water off his tongue as long as possible. 

Though he hadn’t yet been to New Sérène docks, the Nauts always had the same system. A tunnel made of stone was embedded amongst the pier posts. The curve of the design and the use of water wheels ensured that water flowed all the way up to a pool at the top that was built into the dock for business dealings with the humans. Every port that wanted to show it was civilized had such a station for the Nauts and it had been one of the first things the Congregation had built when establishing New Sérène. They were typically manned by a number of Nauts and the position was considered an easy job for those who could tolerate the open air and humans for long lengths of time. 

They bartered with lost cargo and also wrote up new contracts for merchant families and kingdoms. Perhaps the most precious commodity they sold were small vials of their poison that they were able to extract from their claws. The Nauts sold it at a steep price and in limited quantities, knowing the value of a starving market, and people paid whatever price to have a drop or two of it on their weapons. 

Surfacing in the pool, Vasco gave a curt nod to those already stationed there and, in turn, avoided their looks of what might have been pity. His job was to observe and he didn’t realize quite how excruciating that would be until this very moment. Mere minutes of watching the humans and he was already bored stiff.

Vasco perked though, when his eyes caught onto a particular human. It was the one he had rescued. Looking entirely more put together and confident and in deep discussion with a noble woman. Perhaps his gaze was tangible for, a moment later, the man looked his way and brightened considerably before then broke his conversation to head in Vasco’s direction, the Coin Guard that had been with him directly on his heels though his presence barely detracted from the glow of the man’s smile.

“It’s you!” He exclaimed once he was close. “I hoped to see you again--I hadn’t forgotten what you did for me and wanted to express my appreciation in person. Ah, I nearly forgot!” The human chuckled, head dipping in a quick, little bow. “Let me introduce myself. My name is Alexius de Sardet, Legate of the Merchant Congregation, newly appointed to New Sérène.”

Vasco raised a brow, charmed despite himself and hiding it behind a smirk. “Vasco. Of the Nauts. Also newly appointed to New Sérène,” he drawled. 

The mercenary at de Sardet’s side snorted then clapped his hand on de Sardet’s shoulder as the man flushed a fetching pink. “I’m Kurt, Coin Guard, and I owe you my thanks as well. It would have been a shame to lose him before we even touched ground. More than that,” Kurt paused and scowled before he continued, “you got to him when I couldn’t. I’m in your debt.”

“Appreciated, but your debt’s not necessary,” Vasco said as he shook his head. From what he knew of the landwalker courts and hierarchies, he had saved an important man as well as a good one. It was a timely find. “Actually,” he lifted himself further from the water and rested on the sun-warmed stone edging the pool, his tail moving lazily through the water. “I do have a favor to ask of you, de Sardet.” De Sardet’s gaze snapped to his and he nodded as Vasco continued. “I’ve been tasked with, ah, improving communications, you can say, between the Nauts and the Congregation to try and avoid what took place on your voyage. Being your position what it is, I’m hoping you might keep me abreast of activities here in New Sérène.” 

“Yes, I can do that easily.” From behind de Sardet’s shoulder, Kurt let out a low grunt that Vasco couldn’t quite interpret but it was a sound de Sardet ignored as he asked, “Would you care to schedule a regular meeting?” 

“If you’d prefer, but I’ll be spending my time here for the foreseeable future so I’ll be around the port.” Vasco tilted his head then smiled. “Should your visit be unexpected, just ask for me here and they’ll find me quick enough. I look forward to our future conversations, de Sardet.”


End file.
